1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a novel oxidant containing neutralizing composition for use in conjunction with hair waving and straightening treatments and to a process for conditioning hair which has been subjected to such treatments. More particularly, the present invention relates to a neutralizing composition containing an oxidant and an aminofunctional polymeric silicone additive for imparting durable conditioning benefits to hair which has been treated with a reducing agent to reduce the keratin bonds in the hair as well as to the hair treating process using such composition.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Hair waving and hair straightening processes almost invariably include two sequential steps. In the first step, the hair is softened or relaxed with a reducing lotion which allows the hair to be molded to a desired shape. In the second, a neutralizer is applied to the softened hair to harden and stabilize the newly imparted configuration.
The principal active ingredient of conventional neutralizers is an oxidizing agent, of which hydrogen peroxide is currently the most popular. The function of the oxidant is two-fold:
(i) to remove any residual excess of the reducing agent used in the softening step of the process; and
(ii) to rebuild the disulfide cross-links in hair and, thus, to stabilize the new fiber shape and restore its strength and elasticity. However, as presently practiced, not all of the disulfide bonds cleaved in the softening stage of the waving or straightening process can be rebuilt, and an increase in the fiber porosity and deterioration in tactile properties of hair are frequent side effects of such processes. In many cases, the neutralizing compositions contain conditioning agents such as quaternary alkylammonium compounds, to assure smooth texture, easy combing and control of fly-away. However, the conditioning effects obtained through such additives, although beneficial, are transient and are lost after a single shampooing.
An early example of a permanent "cold" hair waving process using mercaptan reducing agents is disclosed by Schwarz in U.S. Pat. No. 2,540,494. Schwarz teaches that the oxidizing agents in the neutralizing or setting solution used to restore the disulfide bonds can consist of any of the typical oxidizing compounds which are nonharmful when applied to hair on the human head and are non-toxic and exemplifies such oxidizing agents with salts of oxidizing acids, e.g. bromates and iodates of sodium and potassium; hydrogen peroxide and its salts, such as ammonium sulfate peroxide, urea peroxide and pyrophosphate peroxides, carbonate peroxides and perborates of sodium and potassium, as well as metal salt peroxides, salts of persulfuric acid and organic peroxides and substituted peroxides. It is also known from Schwarz that the setting "neutralizing" solution can include at least one acidifying reagent which may be provided by an acidic oxidizing agent such as potassium bromate or potassium iodate, or any acid capable of establishing a pH range in the neutralizing solution of from 2 to 4. This patent lists as exemplary acids mono- or poly-carboxylic organic acids such as malonic, succinic, maleic, acetic, propionic, butyric and crotonic; organic acids with hydroxy groups, e.g. lactic, citric, tartaric, malic and glycollic; inorganic acids such as sulfuric, hydrochloric and phosphoric; and acid salts including potassium or sodium, acid tartrate, citrate, or phthalate. It is further taught that a buffering salt can be employed to stabilize the pH, for example, sodium acetate and acetic acid at a 2:1 ratio to provide a pH of about 3.
It is also known in the art to use various types of silicon containing polymers such as polysiloxanes for conditioning hair in permanent waving processes. For instance, Steinbach, et al in U.S. Pat. No. 3,248,296 disclose various epoxy organosiloxanes to provide an elastic coating to protect hair which has been subjected to a sequential reducing treatment and oxidizing treatment from penetration by water without making the hairs stick to each other. In this case, the epoxy organosiloxanes are applied after the neutralization step with hydrogen peroxide oxidizing agent.
Shomier, et al in U.S. Pat. No. 3,687,606, which is described as an improvement of the aforementioned Steinbach, et al patent, explains that the epoxy organosiloxanes function by having the epoxy groups react with the substance of the hair while the organopolysiloxane moiety imparts water repellancy. However, the prior compounds are noted to have the disadvantages of presenting an oily gloss to the hair and not being water soluble. Accordingly, Shomier, et al provide epoxy silanes as treating agents which are applied before the neutralizing treatment with the peroxide oxidizing agent but after the reducing treatment with, for example, a thioglycollic aqid reducing agent.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,944,942 to Charle, methylsilyl mercaptoacetates are used as permanent wave treating agents for single step use. These compounds dissociate into a mercapto reducing agent while generating polymers of silanols to protect the hair and facilitate combing. This patent does not talk about any subsequent treatment such as fixing by peroxides and it is not clear whether any such treatment would be required.
Other hot and cold waving and straightening hair treating compositions, which may or may not be used in conjunction with reducing and/or oxidizing agents, in which various types of siloxane polymers are used to form protective film coatings on individual hairs are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,643,375, 2,750,947, 2,782,796, 2,787,274, and 2,840,087. U.S. Pat. No. 3,143,476 to Grant discloses a cold wave neutralizing composition and process in which sodium and potassium bromates are used as the neutralizing agents in the presence of ferrous, ferric and copper ions which function as catalysts to increase the reaction rate of the neutralizing agents.
There still remains a need for neutralizing compositions for use in a cold permanent waving or straightening hair treating process which provides durable conditioning benefits, i.e. stable to repeated shampooings. There is additionally a need in the art for such neutralizing compositions which can be applied to either waved or straightened hair which significantly reduces drying time and which bring about a drastic decrease in the hair fiber porosity resulting from excessive destruction of the hair bonds while bringing about such additional beneficial results as smooth texture, easy combing and control of fly-away and which also reduces drying time.